


I Was Your Friend

by watermelonriddles



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: M/M, it's been 84 years, result of being awake at 4/5am and wanting your ship to just talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 05:42:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10802916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watermelonriddles/pseuds/watermelonriddles
Summary: “We were never friends.”The statement was void of any emotion and it struck Jim more than he would ever be willing to let on. “We were,” he said. “Before you tried to kill me. If I had known what was going on I would have stopped- I would have helped you before you killed all those people.”





	I Was Your Friend

**Author's Note:**

> Based around 3x17 where [this photo](http://www.farfarawaysite.com/section/batman/gallery11/gallery25/gallery18/hires/5.jpg) and [this photo](http://www.farfarawaysite.com/section/batman/gallery11/gallery25/gallery18/hires/6.jpg) are from.

Jim was starting to think that Ed wasn’t going to show, that this had all been a waste of time, when suddenly the passenger side door opened. With a big smile on his face Ed slipped into the car, shutting the door behind him, and removing his bowler hat.

“Hello, Jimmy,” he said, smile growing. “I was surprised when Barbara said you wanted to meet.”

“This thing with the Court of Owls, it needs to stop,” Jim said, cutting straight to the point.

For a moment it threw Ed, but he was quickly able to fix Jim with a determined look. “I’m just getting started.”

Jim paused, thinking over what he should, or rather could, say. He looked away. “I’m in with the Court, I’m planning on taking them down.”

Ed’s smile faltered. “Why… Why would you tell me that? I could ruin your plans.”

“Because we were friends once.” His voice was soft, quiet. He didn’t dare look Ed in the eye, he looked anywhere but. “For some reason a small part of me still cares about what happens to you.”

“We were never friends.”

The statement was void of any emotion and it struck Jim more than he would ever be willing to let on. “We were,” he said. “Before you tried to kill me. If I had known what was going on I would have stopped- I would have _helped_ you before you killed all those people.”

“Tom Dougherty deserved everything he got,” Ed snapped. “He hurt Kristen, repeatedly.”

“And I’m sure she was thankful to be out of harm’s reach, right up until you killed her.”

Ed looked at Jim, expecting an accusing look, an expression as cruel as the words he spoke, but all he could see was sadness. It seemed genuine and that made it worse. He hated that Jim wasn’t saying those words to be mean, just to be honest.

“That was an accident,” he whispered.

“I know.” It was so quiet that for a moment Ed thought he had misheard. They watched each other for a moment before Jim spoke again. “All of those other people weren’t accidents, were they? I bet they didn’t even deserve it.”

“We will have to agree to disagree on that one,’ Ed muttered.

“Please,” Jim begged. “Stop what you’re doing before the Court takes action. There’s already chatter among them. They will kill you if they have to.”

“I’m not afraid of them.”

Jim didn’t know what surprised him more, the words, or the fact that Ed seemed to genuinely mean it. The last time he had seen Ed properly was back in Arkham Asylum. He had certainly changed from the quiet, awkward, slightly irritating person Jim had known at the GCPD, but he hadn’t change that much. It was then that it hit Jim. The real reason why this all bothered him so much, the same reason that made almost being one of Ed’s victims more heartbreaking, the same reason that made him potentially sacrifice his one chance to take down the Court just to warn Ed. All that regret building up inside of him. All because he cared about Edward Nygma, perhaps even loved him in some way, and he realised it far too late.

They really were friends. He had defended Ed to Essen, declaring that he was better than that stupid medical examiner they had back then, but maybe it wasn’t enough. He should have actually told Harvey to not be so mean, he should have told the other officers to back off, he should have kept a closer eye on Ed.

“Cat got your tongue, Jimbo?”

Jim, thrown from his thoughts, looked towards a very smug looking Ed. “I’m sorry I let this happen to you.”

“I’m not,” Ed said, shrugging a little. “Trust good ol’ Jim Gordon to guilt trip himself. I’m glad this happened to me. I would never have gotten to this glorious point in my life if people like you had interfered.”

“But people like Kristen would still be alive,” Jim pointed out.

“She could have survived,” Ed admitted. “But it doesn’t change that this is where I was supposed to end up. If you really were my friend, then there was nothing more you could have done. I was always going to become this.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“Of course you don’t,” Ed snorted. “Although, it doesn’t really matter what you believe.”

Their conversation was clearly coming to a close, and Jim tried in vain, one last time, to warn him. “ _Please_ , Ed. If this is who you really are, fine, it’s clear I can’t change that, but you have to listen to me. Going up against the Court is only going to get you killed.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, not a single trace of concern. Without another word he stepped outside of the car. For a moment he paused before leaning down and looking back inside. “Goodbye, Jim.”

As Ed put on his bowler hat, grinned, and straightened back up, Jim felt the urge to call him back, but before he could the car door shut, cutting them off from each other. Without a pause, or even a glance back, Ed walked away. Jim hoped that he could bring down the Court before things got too out of hand. As he turned on the engine and drove away he tried not to think about the fact that, despite telling himself that whatever he felt had died that day in the woods, he had still risked everything to come and warn Ed in person.


End file.
